“That was not a vintage Liverpool performance I would say – although some of our football was excellent at times, particularly in the first half – but the players showed fight and desire throughout and this was enough to get us over the line.
“Our aim, of course, is to perform in a way that allows us to get over the line in a little bit more comfort than has been the case in our last couple of games, even though we are competing in a league in which every team is willing and able to battle until the very last second.
“For one reason or another, this has been more challenging for us than we would like this season, but there are also promising signs with the new players having more of an influence and the understanding between all of our players getting better after a summer of change.
“The hope and also the expectation would be that these elements will continue to improve in the second half of the season.
“Last season we were able to succeed with a group of players who, by and large, had been together for some time, so it makes sense that there would be a period of adaptation when this situation changed.
“We were aware that this was likely to happen during the summer and injuries have meant some of our new signings have not been available to us as much as we would have liked, but there is no question that now is the time to kick on.
“I would like to welcome Daniel Farke, his players and staff as well as the directors and supporters of Leeds United to Anfield for tonight’s game.
“I know this is a fixture which has a lot of history and even though I have only experienced it once myself, I know already that it is also one which creates a lot of passion and intensity. I am sure it will be no different this time around.
“Finally, I would like to conclude by wishing all of our supporters a Happy New Year.
“The last twelve months were memorable for all of us for the best of reasons and also the worst of reasons, but we had you with us every single step of the way.
“For that I will always be incredibly grateful, so I wish you nothing but the best for 2026 because that is what you deserve.”
